


What's in a Name?

by overunderachiever



Series: Soulmate September 2020 [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Childhood Friends, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Logic | Logan Sanders is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Morality | Patton Sanders Has a Different Name to Start With, Morality | Patton Sanders Needs a Hug, Mutual Pining, My First Fanfic, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Trans Morality | Patton Sanders, soulmate's name on wrist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:33:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25805176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overunderachiever/pseuds/overunderachiever
Summary: Logan has been in love with Bee for years, and best friends even longer. But that will never change the fact that they aren't soulmates, no matter how much Logan wishes it.The universe played a cruel trick on Bee, giving him a soulmate with the same name as the boy he loves, just to remind him they won't ever be together.
Relationships: Logic | Logan Sanders & Morality | Patton Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Series: Soulmate September 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1872199
Comments: 11
Kudos: 125





	What's in a Name?

**Author's Note:**

> Just an aro-ace's attempt to write romance.
> 
> Written for tsshipmonth2020's Soulmate September on Tumblr.
> 
> Btw for a good chunk of this one of the characters doesn't really have a name, so I hope it isn't too confusing.

"Lolo!"

"Oh, salutations Bee."

Logan glanced up as his best friend jogged over to where he was waiting by the school doors. Something seemed off. He wasn't quite sure, but the other boy didn't seem to have quite so much cheerful energy as usual, and Logan really knew something was off when Bee just turned to walk out of school without launching into an excitable description of his day.

"Are you quite all right, Bee?"

He must have said something wrong for the smaller boy visibly cringed before plastering his grin back on.

"Oh its nothing. Come on, I wanna get home."

"If something is bothering you, it is certainly not nothing. You needn't worry about bothering me with it, you are my best friend. I care about your well being." Logan winced internally at referring to Bee as his friend but squashed it quickly. He needed to be supportive right now, not pining over him.

Bee sighed. "Its just...that name..."

"Bee?"

"Yeah. Its cute and all but its just a shortened version of...well Belle...and lately its been reminding me of that every time someone calls me it. But I don't know what to do! I've tried for years to find a name that fits and they're all so dull or don't _fit_ me...I don't know...I'm not making any sense..."

"You are making every bit of sense. It is perfectly understandable how that would affect you - choosing the right name is very important. If you would like, in the meantime I shall refrain from referring to you by any name until you have found the right one. There is no rush to find one either, sometimes these things turn up in the most unexpected of places."

B...er...his friend looked up at him with a small, relieved smile that seemed far more genuine than the blindingly cheerful ones he usually gave.

"Thanks, Lo. That...means a lot." He sighed. "How do you always know the right thing to say to make me feel better?"

"We have been friends since fourth grade. That is six years. It would have been a great failure on my part if I _didn't_ know how to help you feel better."

Logan was once again blinded by the grin the smaller boy sent his way and, as usual, felt that not-unpleasant flutter somewhere in his chest at just how adorable his best friend was.

He listened to him chatter all the way to his house but, when they parted ways, Logan could no longer ignore how utterly in love he was with his best friend. And how hopeless it was to wish their relationship was anything other than platonic. He unclasped his watch from his wrist, uncovering the name written there and glaring at it.

 _Patton_.

Somewhere out there was Logan's soulmate - and it wasn't the boy he loved. And somewhere else was his best friend's soulmate - and it wasn't Logan. And no matter how hard he wished, Logan could not change that.

Of course there was the possibility that Logan and his friend could have platonic relationships with their soulmates, and a romantic one with each other. But that relied on so many other variables, particularly whether his friend actually had those feelings for him, which Logan highly doubted would ever happen. Logan also didn't want to deny anyone the chance to have a romantic relationship with their fate-assigned partner, which was what most people desired, nor did he want to hurt his friend if Logan ended up loving his soulmate more. Not that he thought he would ever be capable to loving anyone more than he did his best friend, in any capacity.

So Logan knew he would never compromise their friendship by confessing his love for his friend. No matter how much it hurt now, it was for the best.

But he couldn't help wishing.

\-----

The other boy watched as Logan continued on his way home, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. He hated how he couldn't just be content to be Logan's friend. Why did he have to fall in love with him?

He pushed back the long sleeve of his shirt, fingers brushing the name written on his wrist.

His soulmate.

 _Logan_.

The tears overflowed then, dripping down his cheeks as he hurried to his room. The universe had pulled a cruel trick on him in giving him a soulmate with the same name as the boy he loved so much.

Or perhaps it had played an even crueler trick by making Logan his soulmate but not the other way round.

Or even worse was the possibility that they _were_ soulmates but Logan never said anything because he didn't _want_ to be his soulmate. No, he refused to let himself think about that.

All this would have been easier if they had just shown each other their soul names in the first place. Friends did that all the time, it wasn't completely taboo. But Logan had never offered and it wouldn't be right to ask. When they had first met, his heart had threatened to burst out of his chest at Logan's name, and he had excitedly told Logan his own (one he didn't like remembering now), scanning his face for some recognition...

But nothing.

Logan had simply dipped his head in acknowledgement and warned him that he had a hard time remembering names, though he would be sure to try.

At the time, he wasn't so concerned - Logan wasn't the most uncommon name after all, he would find the right one eventually. But then they became friends and only grew closer as the years went on...

When he had come out as trans, asking to go by Bee until he found the right name, he hadn't been able to help hoping that perhaps Logan would recognise that name as his soulmate's. But he hadn't, and they continued to be best friends while he fell in love more every day.

It hurt so much now.

He couldn't imagine anyone else being his soulmate, Logan was just so wonderful and beautiful and sweet and understanding and smart and...another sob shuddered through him. He needed to pull himself together. He had homework to do, and names to research in the vain hope he might find one to fit. He pushed all those awful feelings away, sealing them up in a box in the corner of his mind where they would undoubtedly spill out from again in a few hours for another sleepless night.

\-----

"Morning Lolo!"

Logan quirked a small smile as his best friend practically bounded down his garden path to meet him, evidently in a far more cheerful mood than he had been the day before. He was struck by just how genuine his excitement seemed to be and doubted it was just because he was looking forward to school.

"You seem to be even more cheerful than usual today. I wasn't aware that was possible." He joked mildly.

"Well I do have some particularly exciting news today!"

When the shorter boy didn't continue Logan raised an eyebrow in question at him, but it seemed his friend wouldn't be forthcoming.

"Are you prompting me to guess or-"

"Hey Logan, do you wanna play a game of Patton-Cake with me?" He interrupted.

"You must realise that would be rather difficult to manage while walking, and I do not want to be late for school because we stopped to play a hand clapping game. Also, do you not mean 'Patty-Cake'? That is, I believe, what you are referring to."

"Nope!" His friend squeaked. "This is like Patty-Cake, but its named after me!"

It took him a second to register his words-

Logan.exe has stopped working.

"Do you like it? I got distracted last night looking up things about ancient Greek philosophy and discovered a whole bunch of cool stuff including the concept Logos, which means reason and planning and stuff, and the word Pathos which was to do with emotions. I thought it was really neat how your name sounds like Logos 'cause you're always rational, and I thought it would be so cool if I had a name that sounds like Pathos because I'm the emotional one here. And then I was looking up names starting with Pat and I found Patton which I thought was really cute and kinda rare and I really like it and why have you stopped walking?"

Perhaps in other circumstances, Logan would have marvelled at just how much his friend could talk without pausing for breath. As it was, he had barely heard anything err- _Patton_ had said over the sound of his internal screaming.

In a daze, he removed his watch to stare at his wrist again. It was several seconds before he remembered how his vocal chords worked.

"That...thats my soulmate's name...Patton...thats..."

Patton froze at his words, staring at Logan's arm as he stretched it out to show him and yes. There, stamped on his wrist like a tattoo, in loopy writing, was his name. _His own name!_

For a moment Patton forgot to breathe. Then he slowly pushed back his sleeve to show the name written there in a neat, steady hand.

Logan stared at his own name written on Patton's wrist for several seconds before he reached out and pulled Patton closer by his hand, still staring at his wrist. When he finally spoke again his voice shook.

"We're...we're soulmates...? Why didn't you tell me...you had my name? All this time..." Logan was still staring his friend's arm and even Patton, usually so good at reading people, could not decipher the storm of emotions swirling through those eyes.

"Well I...I guess I mostly assumed my soulmate would have my dead name written...but you didn't say anything when I told you it, or when I came out and wanted to go by Bee. And I thought if we _were_ soulmates then maybe you didn't want to be with me...as more than a friend...so you were keeping your distance or-"

"More than a friend?" Logan interrupted, finally tearing his gaze away from their arms to look at Patton's face.

He froze like a rabbit in the headlights, breath catching in his chest again.

"I...well...of course I mean 'as well as' but...uhh" he swallowed "if you want..."

Somehow, Logan was able to drag himself from his trance, taking both of his hands in his own, pulling him closer. He swallowed.

"I would certainly not be opposed to pursuing a romantic relationship with you Patton, if...if that's what you're asking..." His moment of confidence was short-lived and he trailed off.

"Oh, you don't have to if you don't like me in that way! Just because _I_ love you doesn't mean-" Patton gasped as he realised what he'd said, already pulling away in anticipation of the disgust Logan was sure to throw his way...

"Patton, hey, look at me." The other boy slowly looked back up at him, expecting the worst. But Logan was gazing back at him with the softest smile Patton had ever seen. "Patton, my best friend, my soulmate, I love you. Of course I want that relationship with you, if you'll have me?"

Patton let out a soft "oh", trying desperately to get his brain to start moving again.

And then he was pulling Logan forward by his shirt and kissing him like his life depended on it.

Logan, to his credit, was only surprised for half a second before he wrapped his arms around him and kissed back. Finally. _Finally_.

When they eventually broke apart, panting, hair ruffled, matching glasses askew, it was a few seconds before either of them had the breath to speak.

"Am I correct in my interpretation of that as a yes?" Logan asked, grinning and already fully aware of the answer.

Patton, grinning like sunshine, nodded so hard his glasses threatened to fly off. "I would love that, Lolo!"

The two boys (best friends, true loves, soulmates) just smiled at each other, basking in their joy for a second longer.

"Oh, we are going to be _so_ late for class!"

~~*~~

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it! Lmk what you thought, comments make my day.


End file.
